Paper-file



2 Sheets-flheet 1.

(No Model.) I

W. I. OHMER. PAPER FILE.

Patented NOV. 29, 1892.

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(No Model.)

No. 487,230. Patented Nov. 29, 1892.

WIZWESSES THE NORRIS PEYERS w, PHOTOJJTHQ, WASHINGTON, 0. c,

UNITED STATES 'WILFRED I. OI-IMER,

PAPER OF DAYTON, OHIO.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 487,230, dated November 29, 1892.. Application filed July 80, 1891. Renewed July 15, 1892. Serial No. 440,164- (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILFRED I. OHMER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Paper-Files, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in paper-tiles of that class wherein the papers are held between an end board and a sliding platen or plate mounted upon ways or rods and equipped with mechanism for holding the platen in any adjusted position, according to the number or quantity of papers on file.

My improvements have special reference to the provision of friction or clutching devices carried by the slide of the platen or plate, in combination with operating means adapted to throw such devices into engagement with the rods or ways through the action of gravity.

The instrumentalities and details by which my invention is carried into practical operation will be hereinafter more fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and on which like reference-letters indicatecorrespondingparts, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a letter-file embodying my invention, a part being broken away to facilitate illustration; Fig. 2, a rear view of the same with apart in section to also assist in illustrating my improvements; Fig. 3, a detail View on a larger scale, showing the friction or clutching device, the operating-handle, the sliding bearing, and the rod or way; Fig. 4, a similar view showinga modification of the friction or clutching devices; Fig. 5, another similar view showing another modification of such devices; Fig. 6, a sectional View of the sliding bearing and rod and rear view of the frictional clutching device and operating-handle; Fig. 7, a side elevation of a paper-file entire, showing still another modification of my improved frictional or clutching device; Fig.8, a plan view of the same parts; Fig. 9,a horizontal section of the sliding bearing and a plan view of one of the rods and of the friction or clutching device;

Fig. 10, a section on line a: or of Fig. 8 and Fig. 11 still another modification.

The letter A designates the base, B the back or end board, and O the rods or rails of a paper-file for holding and filing away documents, letters, receipts, 850., the same beingof the ordinary or any approved type.

A handleD is usually provided to facilitate withdrawing the file from shelves or pigeonholes, according to how it is kept.

The letter E designates a cross piece or plate, the ends of which are fashioned to constitute bearings F of such style or construction as the type or form of friction or clutch devices may require. These bearings are fitted to slide back and forth on the rods or ways 0. A platen or follower G, being a board preferably somewhat smaller than the end board B, is secured to the sliding bearings in a convenient manner, preferably by attachment with the cross-piece E through a hinge or pivot connection H, so that it may swing and be capable of assuming an inclined or angular position when drawn back from the papers on file, whereby the papers may also be tipped back to facilitate the selection of the particular one which it is desired to withdraw or examine.

I have illustrated various forms or constructions for carrying my invention into effect. In all of the forms it will be observed that. the dominant feature of a friction or clutching device adapted to engage with the rods or ways 0 to prevent the bearings from slipping or sliding back and releasing the compression of the documents and a gravitating actuating device for the friction or clutching device prevails. I will now describe the several forms in detail.

In Figs. 1, 2, and 3 the bearings F are provided with plates F, to which are pivoted dogs or detents G at H, the lower end of the dogs being slotted at I. To each of these plates is pivoted an arm J of a handle-lever J, the pivot being at K. This handle-lever is made sufficiently heavy to gravitate with such force as to throw the dogs G into contact with the ways or rod 0 with sufficient positiveness that in connection with the tendancy of the dogs to bind against the rods. in an attempt to slide the bearings back, the

bearings are held against such movement and are made to resist the pressure of the documents against the platen or follower G. The bearings, however, may be pushed forward so as to carry the platen or follower up to the documents, or to move it against them to compress them either without lifting the handlelever, or by lifting it and relieving the ways or rods of engagement by the dogs. It is preferred to raise the handle, as this prevents unnecessary wear between the dogs and ways or rods. It is only necessary, however, to drop the handle-lever when the dogs, by such operation through the gravitating action of the handle, immediately assume the binding position and lock the bearings against any back movement.

Referring to Figs. 4, 5, and 6, it will be seen that the dogs L are mounted on the same pivot M with the handle-lever, such pivot having a bearing in the plate M of the bearing F. It will also be noticed that in Fig. 4 the dog engages the lower side of the rod or way 0, while in Figs. 5 and 6 the dog is shown engaging with the upper side of said rod or way. These two forms are alike, however, in so far as concerns the dogs being rigidly connected with the handle-lever, so as to move with the handle-lever. In Fig. ithe dog extends away from the handle-lever and is thrown into and maintained in clutching engagement by the rearward gravitation of the handlelever, while in all the remaining figures the handlelever gravitates in a forward direction in order to operate the dogs into engaging position. In all, however, the gravitating action applied through the handle-lever and dogs to lock the bearings in one direction and leave them free to slide in the other direction is preserved.

In Figs. 7, 8, and 9 I have arranged the pivoted at O to a bracket 0, secured to the cross-plate E. The inner ends of the dogs are provided with elongated holes or slots Q itsconnection with one arm of thelevenj In and are slightly overlapped, as suggested by The gravitating' the dotted lines in Fig. 8. handle-lever J is pivoted to tho cross-plate E, through brackets Q, extending down from such cross-piece and receiving the pivot R. The cross-piece is slotted, as seen at R in Fig. 9, to receive one end of the arm J of the handle-lever, the upper termination S of such arm passing through the elongated holes or' slots Q of the dogs and so engaging them thatas the handle-lever J gravitates it throws the dogs into engagement with the rods or; Ways 0, and thus locks the cross-piece E and its attached platen or follower Gagainst moving back. By raising the handle-lever the dogs are thrown out of engagement with the rods-or'ways. The cross-piece E, with its platen or follower, can be moved back and forth or away from the documents and then back to them when the handle is in an elevated position, and these movements can be given by and through the handle. The two positions of the dogs are shown in the dotted lines in Fig. 8 and the full lines in Fig. 9, which is the engaging position, and in the dotted lines in Fig. 9, which is the disengaged position.

In all of the views, save Figs. 7, 8, 9, and 10, the cross-piece E is a single plate extending from bearing to bearing. While the detail construction of this part of the device is not material, I have shown this cross connection in the latter figures in the form in crosssection of a box, there being plates E, E, and E" besides the plate E, which in these figures is vertical or on edge instead of horizontal or fiat. A bracket T connects each pivot H of the platen or follower with the plate E as shown in Fig. 10.

I have illustrated the dogs shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6 as having serrations to makethem engage the ways or rods with a pricking action. s.

In Fig. 9 I have shown the rod or ways as serrated at C for the engagement of thedogs in a more positive manner. or may not be used. a

Referring to Fig. 11, it will be seen that yet another modification is illustrated. In thi figure a dog 2 is pivoted at 3 and provided with a point adapted to enter the serrations O of the Way 0. The dog is slotted at .4: to receive the pin 5, by which it is connected with a part through the hand-lever .I. This lever in Fig. 11 is pivoted to the bearing or slide F at 6, which is a point in line with the center of the way or rod 0, so that in operating the platen or follower through the handlelever the force will be applied at the place best adapted to prevent binding of.the bearing or slide F on said way. The leverhas, a projection, 7, adapting it to extend down to the slotted dog. It will be understood that this is a sectional View, showing the crosspiece E in section and one ofthe dogs and organizing the complete device these parts are in duplicate, there being a set .foreach end of the cross-plate E.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure, by Letters Patent, isv 1. The combination, with the ways or rods and the sliding bearings and platen or follower of a paper-file, of dogs carried by saidbearings and agravitating handle-lever also.carried thereby and engaging with said dogs,the gravitation of the handle-lever throwing .the dogs into engagement with the rods or ways in a position which holds them against the back movement of the bearings.

2. The combination, with the rods or ways, the bearings slidable thereon, and the platen or follower of'a paper-file, of dogs andagravitating handle-lever connected with said dogs, the'gravitation of the handle-leverthrowing the dogs into engagement with the ways or rods and locking the bearings against back movement.

3. The combination, with the ways or rods, the bearings sliding thereon, and a platen or follower of a paperfile, of dogs pivoted to said bearings, and a gravitating handle-lever also pivoted to said bearings, and a connection between the short end of the lever-arms and one end of the pivoted dogs, the normal position of the handle-lever subjecting it to a gravitating action in the longer arms thereof, for the purpose described.

4. The combination, with the ways or rods, the slidable bearings thereon, and a follower or platen of a paper-file, of dogs pivoted to the bearings and a handle-lever also pivoted to said bearings, the shorter arms of said lever engaging through a pin and slot with one end of the dogs, respectively, and the handle-1e ver arranged to normally tend by gravity to engage the dogs with the ways or rods.

5. The combination, with the ways or rods, theslidable bearings, andthe platen orfollower of a paper-file, the bearings having depending plates, of a dog pivoted to each plate with its upper end adjacent to the lower side of the rod or way and its lower end slotted, and a handle-lever whose arms are also pivoted to said plates, said arms engaging through a pin with the slots in the dogs and occupying a normal oblique or angular position to a perpendicular, the gravitation of the handle-lever operating to lock the dogs and the elevation thereof to unlock them.

6. The combination, with the ways or rods, the slidablebearin gs, and the platen or follower of a paper-file, of dogs pivoted to said bearings, a gravitating handle-lever also pivoted to said bearings, and a connection between the dogs and the handle-lever by which the dogs are moved into and out of contact with the ways or rods, the gravitation of the handie-lever effecting the former and the hand manipulation of the lever effecting the latter.

7. The combination, with the ways or rods and the sliding bearings and a platen or follower of a paper-file, of dogs carried by said bearings and adapted at one end to engage with the rods or ways and provided with a slot in the other portion, and a gravitating handle-lever engaging with said dogs through the sliding connection in the slots of the dogs.

8. The combination, with the ways or rods and the bearings and a platen or follower of a paper-file, of dogs pivoted to said bearings,

with a slot in one end and adapted at the other to engage with the rods or ways, and a gravitating handle-lever pivoted to the bearings substantially opposite the center of the ways or rods and having projections carrying pins fitted to said slots.

9. The combination, with the rods or ways, the sliding bearings, and the follower or platen of a paper-file, of dogs pivoted to said bearings and a gravitating handle-lever slidingly engaging with said dogs.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILFRED I. OHMER.

Witnesses:

EDWIN P. MATTHEWS, HARVEY OoNovER, J r. 

